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Cloud Storage for Game Developers
Thinking of creating your own awesome game with loads of beautiful graphics and eye-popping animations? Then you are likely to need to learn all about Cloud Storage. There is a good introduction on this Wikipedia page. The Age of the Dinosaurs, when small companies created their own internal tech departments to store, manage and distribute large quantities of data (such as intensive game graphics) is facing its own rapid extinction. The cost savings, scalability, safety and redundancy offered by cloud storage services make it the wave of the future. Cloud Storage Services Thankfully, there are many free cloud storage options available for small private users - so we can offer a brief online tutorial to get you started. In fact, it is really very easy to get started on your own with Cloud Computing. Have a bigger project in mind? Well then, you will need to cough up a little dough and choose one of the many Cloud servive providers. How to Sign Up for Free using Amazon S3 One of the leading providers is Amazon with their Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) . We shall look at their services in greater detail below. This provider offers data storage option in different Tiers - just like dinos! The best tier for our purposes is the Free Tier! First click on the above link, and then select the "Sign Up Now" button to get started with AWS for Free. ALERT: But be warned! This free account does require a valid Credit Card. Now I am a long and devoted Amazon customer, and have personally experienced truly exceptional service, including a quick replacement when my Kindle broke down. Since Amazon already has my credit info, this step was an easy one for me. For others, providing that credit card info might be a show stopper. The button below is not active. Only use the identical button on Amazon's page above. The Free Tier offers all these great benefits - and yes, it really is free. However, it does requires credit card info and performs a $1 test billing - which is not a charge. Now click Get Started for Free on this Amazon Free Tier page, which is where you should be after clicking the above "Sign Up Now" button. At this stage, you will be asked to sign in using your existing Amazon.com account or to create a new account. I just signed into my existing account. This takes you to the "Amazon Web Services Sign Up" page, which requires some pretty detailed contact info. The AWS Customer Agreement also stipulates that you are not a minor and must include a valid e-mail address. Once you have tackled the sign-up procedure you will see a page stating: Activating your account... We are in the process of activating your account so that you can begin using AWS. The phone number you provided will be called and you must report back the 4 digit PIN that was displayed on the account web page. Be warned again - there will be a temporary $1 verification on your credit account, but this is not a charge! It's just testing the credit card is valid. Update: Time Stamp: Sunday March 24 at 12:40PM EST Sorry, the email verification has been here all along. Forgot I had created a special email folder just for Amazon. Let's see if it contains any interesting odds and ends worth reporting. This email states: For the next 12 months, you will have free access to compute, storage, database, and application services. OK, now I have lots to do and explore. More details in the near future. Updates will appear in the "My Project" section below in the near future. My Cloud Storage Project > > We will write a brief tutorial here in the near future. Store and Manage Buckets of Game Objects Here is how. > > More this weekend. How to Set Bucket Permissions You won't want just anybody to have full access to your game graphics. Here is a quick tutorial on restricting public access. > > More this weekend. UNDER CONSTRUCTION